But she's here!
by Veep
Summary: Daniel, Teal'c and Cameron return from off world without Sam. Where is she? Will they find her? Some SJ later. T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

She's here!

Chapter 1: She's here

Daniel, Teal'c and Cameron strolled through the gate. Daniel shook his head and mockingly scowled at Cameron who was obviously laughing at Daniel's expense. The SFs assigned to guard the gate room relaxed. It was obvious that SG-1 had not brought any trouble back with them. The gate shut down behind the men who began to unhook their armaments. Looks were shared among the control room staff.

General Landry leaned down towards the microphone. "Welcome back, SG-1. Where's Colonel Carter?"

All three men stopped and looked up to the control room. Cameron stepped out in front. "She returned yesterday, sir."

General Landry looked over at Walter who immediately turned to the computer and began rapidly tapping on the keyboard. Walter shook his head no.

"Please come immediately to the briefing room." General Landry turned towards the stairs. The men of SG-1 finished disarming and went straight to the spiral staircase. The earlier joviality disappeared as worry eclipsed each of them. General Landry was pacing the room when they arrived. "Why did she supposedly return yesterday alone?"

Cameron stepped in front again but Daniel began speaking first. "She had a plant sample that was emitting a power signature. She thought it was important and insisted she had to return. We walked her to the gate and then returned to camp. Are you telling us she never appeared?"

"What time yesterday do you estimate she returned?"

Teal'c spoke up before Daniel or Cameron had a chance. "It was approximately fourteen hundred hours."

General Landry shook his head. "I was in a briefing in this room from thirteen hundred to sixteen hundred. There was only one gate activation during that time and it was SG-12 retuning from 967."

"That isn't possible. She sent the IDC and received permission to return. It wasn't a misdial." Cameron was noticeably agitated.

"I have several people reviewing the tapes. Go to the infirmary and return here as soon as you are cleared." The General turned towards his office, leaving the men of SG-1 frustrated.

--

Sam snuggled into her pillow and sighed quietly. She rarely felt like sleeping in, but when she did, it felt glorious to do it. Sam was drifting off into a wonderful dream where his arms were going around her and…the phone rang. Sam rolled over and blindly reached out with her left hand for the phone. Her hand hit what felt like a picture frame and a lamp, both noisily fell to the floor. The phone rang again, so Sam pushed herself up and looked through bleary eyes at the bedside table. The phone wasn't where it was supposed to be. It rang again, and she turned her head to the other side of the bed. She was surprised to see her phone on her right side. Sam reached out and grabbed the receiver before it could ring a fourth time and trigger her answering machine.

"Carter."

"This is Sergeant Michaels, ma'am. I'm sorry to disturb you, but you're needed on base."

"It'll take me forty minutes." Sam sat up fully and threw back the covers.

"I'll let the General know, ma'am."

"Thank-you." Sam was out of bed as soon as the receiver was back in the cradle. She took a proper military shower and was getting dressed in under five minutes. She would have preferred a relaxing shower complete with shower gel and a proper shave but she was needed and duty came before vanity and comfort.

Sam glanced over at the clock beside the bed and found it was sitting where the picture frame that now lay on the floor normally resided. Fifteen minutes had elapsed by the time she finished dressing and getting ready. She grabbed a breakfast bar and a bottle of juice as she picked up her coat off a stool at the kitchen island. She was in her car and sitting at the first light when she took a sip of her juice. She thought she'd grabbed grapefruit juice, but instead it was lemonade. She made a sour face as the light turned green. She liked lemonade, but it tasted awful when you were expecting grapefruit juice! The driver behind her blew his horn, probably impatient to get to his important desk job. Sam pressed the gas, making her tires squeal. She sucked down the last of the breakfast bar as she parked her car. She walked briskly towards the entrance, attempting to look relaxed while hustling; a combination she'd perfected over the years thanks to Teal'c and O'Neill's guidance.

--

Daniel, Cameron, and Teal'c pushed Lam to finish quickly so they could get back to the briefing room. She understood their position, but she refused to skip any standing procedures. She did get extra nursing help and pushed them out the door as fast as humanly possible.

General Landry, forewarned by Dr. Lam, was waiting for the men when they walked into the briefing room. "Please be seated."

Daniel, Cameron, and Teal'c took their seats but remained visibly agitated as the General opened a thin file. "The tapes from yesterday have been reviewed and I can assure you Colonel Carter never came through the stargate. We also never received her IDC. The only records involving dial-ins from P5X-642 involved your scheduled report on the second day of the mission and your return on day five. Please tell me what you found on the planet. Perhaps something was there that could explain Colonel Carter's disappearance."

"That's just it," Daniel leaned forward, "there wasn't anything there. We spent five days looking at trees and small furry lizard-like animals, and never found any sign of civilization, current or past. There's nothing there to explain her disappearance because there's nothing there!"

Teal'c stared at Daniel as Cameron slammed his fist on the table. "He's right. This doesn't make any sense. She's here! We watched her leave and I know she received confirmation to return. The problem is here!"

General Landry ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Then we have a serious problem because according to everything I have in front of me, Colonel Carter can't be on Earth, and you seem equally sure she isn't on P5X-642. Suggestions?"

Daniel and Cameron looked down at the table. Teal'c looked at the General and spoke. "I suggest we use a UAV to search the planet further than we were able to traverse. Perhaps there are answers we did not discern."

The General nodded his head. "Done. I don't want you three to leave the base until we get a few answers. I want you available if I have questions." General Landry returned to his office giving Cameron the opportunity to storm from the room. Daniel followed him, equally agitated. Teal'c understood their reactions and was thankful his years of training let him better control his emotions.

--

Sam went straight to General Landry's office without stopping to change into her BDUs. He was scowling over a file. The tight grip he had on his pen was a clear indication of his displeasure.

"Colonel Carter reporting as ordered, sir." Sam executed a crisp salute.

"Relax Colonel." Landry motioned for her to sit.

Sam sat in one of the chairs in front of the General's desk. As she sat she realized the chairs were different, but before she had time to contemplate what was different, the General began speaking.

"I am assigning you as a liaison to the Draknars, an ambassador of sorts. SG-21 spent a week with them, and they are highly advanced. They are not opposed to sharing with us, but they want to get to know us better. Not only are you a great representative, but there's also a chance you will understand some their technology."

"How long will SG-1 be with the Draknars?" Sam glowed with excitement over the prospect of playing with advanced technology.

"Not SG-1, Colonel, just you. I am unsure how long it will take, but I expect it will require a considerable amount of time to earn their trust." The General watched her reaction. She held her shock inside so he only saw a brief glimpse of emotion.

"I'm going alone?"

"Yes, Colonel. Is that a problem?"

"It's unusual."

"Yes, but that isn't what I asked. Is it a problem?"

Sam debated internally. She wasn't comfortable with the request, but for some reason she didn't understand she couldn't voice her concerns. "I won't let it be a problem. When do I depart?"

"In an hour."

Sam's eyes widened. "An hour! Sorry sir, but there's a lot to arrange if I am going to be gone for an extended period."

"The I suggest you get started now. Dismissed."

Sam packed, assigned her current projects to other scientists, and called Jack. He didn't answer his cell, office phone, or home phone so she left him a message letting him know she was leaving and she wanted him to check up on Cassie regularly. She also couldn't get Cassie or her brother on the phone. She left them both messages apologizing for her sudden disappearance.

Sam was in the gateroom and ready to leave in just under an hour. Daniel and Teal'c told her good-bye as the gate completed the dialing sequence. She glanced once over her shoulder before stepping through to her new assignment.


	2. A long night

She's here!

Chapter 2: So Where is She?

"The UAV did not show any signs of life larger then a rabbit, sir." The captain laid the report on the General's desk.

"Thank-you. Please ask SG-1, 5, and 8 to report to the briefing room in half an hour."

The captain nodded at the directions and left the General's office. The eleven SG team members were waiting when the General entered the briefing room.

"I'm sending all of you on a search and rescue. Your objective is to find Colonel Carter and return her safely. As the report shows, neither the UAV nor SG-1 found any signs of inhabitation by sentient beings, but the fact is Colonel Carter is missing and the only place we have to begin a search is the planet from which she disappeared. Any questions?" No one at the table moved. "You leave in twenty minutes."

--

They'd been on the planet for fifteen hours. There was no sign of Sam and all indications of SG-1's recent visit were gone. Teal'c couldn't find any old boot prints and the ash from the campfire was gone.

That was the biggest clue they had so far. Someone or something must have cleaned up behind them. They all agreed that could be the same person or people responsible for Sam's disappearance. General Landry found the news encouraging but he wanted more.

--

Sam had traveled enough to not let the purple skin tone, webbed fingers, and third eye of the Draknars distract her. Their slight hunch made her height stand out in a crowd but she was use to being the tallest female in the room and this wasn't much different. There were a few Draknars who stood taller then her, even with the curve of their spine.

Sam was staying with Malton, a Draknar scientist who ran one of the military research stations. He had a large house complete with a wife, son, daughter, and two pets. Sam didn't know what exactly the pets could be compared to on Earth but it was obvious from their actions they liked Malton and lived in the house.

Malton's daughter Snarie played with the pets, and his son Athrop studied, while his wife Folan made dinner. Sam was surprised to see both children had a blue skin tone instead of the purple shared by both of their parents. She assumed there must be a genetic explanation and decided she would ask later. Malton gave Sam a tour of the house. She found herself asking several questions about the large portraits hung on the walls along the staircase.

"That is my great uncle. He is shown here beheading a tronulve, a fierce beast often hunted for sport. My great uncle is one of few men who has killed a tronulve by hand."

"I guess that explains the blood on his hands." Sam winced slightly. The painting was very graphic and gory. It would have fit in better as part of a horror movie than as a household decoration. Sam paid close attention during the tour and noticed several sculptures and painting were dedicated to very brutal and bloody scenes.

Dinner was colorful and tasty. Sam had feared finding the lumpy food distasteful and was pleased to be proven wrong. Athrop, acting like many Earth teenagers, was sullen when the meal began. He and Malton exchanged whispered but heated words several times. Athrop finally left the table in a huff.

"Please forgive my son. Blood passion runs strong in the young and it takes time to learn to control it."

"Blood passion?" Sam queried the term as she lifted her glass to sip the sweet fruit drink served with dinner.

"Our ancestors were more violent then we are today. Our young still feel the pull in their blood but we train them over time to control this passion." Malton took a bite of his dinner and wiped his chin.

"My people were also more violent in our past. Part of raising the young is teaching them to live by and respect our laws. The hard part is the laws are different depending upon where you live."

"All of our people share a common set of values and my son is quickly learning to live by them. His roar is loud but he is tame."

Sam nodded her head in understanding. "We have a similar saying, his bark is worse then his bite. It refers to animals on Earth called dogs. Dogs are pets who make lots of noise, called barking, but who rarely bite."

Malton laughed. "I think we will find our people have a lot in common."

After dinner Sam went to her room. She used her laptop to write a report of the day before settling down to sleep on a large and luxurious bed. She looked up at the wall opposite the bed. The light from the three moons spilled in the window and illuminated the large painting hanging on the far wall. It appeared to be a much younger Malton using a large sword to pierce a huge beast. Blood was squirting out of the beast's wound and covered Malton, who was smiling victoriously. Sam rolled towards the window, refusing to let the bloody image haunt her dreams.

--

The moons were still high and shining through the window when Sam abruptly awoke. She wondered what had disturbed her slumber. She rolled over away from the window, trying to recapture her lost contentment, when she heard a scream. Sam sat up and listened closely. It happened again. The screams were far away and muted but the soldier in her recognized potential danger.

Sam slipped out of bed, picked up her handgun, and quietly left the room. She glided down the hall towards the large staircase. She slipped downstairs. The screams were getting louder. She made it to the kitchen without being detected. The screams were occurring less often. They sounded like they were just below her. She searched the kitchen and then the pantry. She found a staircase at the back of the pantry behind a shelf of food.

Sam slowly walked down the stairs, pausing often to examine the weapons hanging on the wall. All of the weapons were sharpened and light from the recessed floor lamps glittered off the metal. Sam saw stains on a couple of the swords but she refused to make any assumptions about the origins of the rust colored spots. As she reached the bottom of the steps she heard Malton speaking.

"Relax boy. This won't last much longer." Malton sounded frustrated or angry.

Sam peaked around the corner. Malton gripped a long, wide, slightly curved piece of metal by its long handle, dipping into a fire. The metal began to glow as it heated. Once it had reached a deep orange color, Malton removed it from the fire and placed the scorching metal against his son's arm. The boy's head fell back and he screamed. Sam gasped. Malton turned towards her. The boy's scream subsided when Malton lost his concentration and allowed the hot metal to fall to the ground.

"Forgive us if we woke you, Colonel Carter. I would have warned you if I had known Athrop would require mistah tonight." Malton's eyes blazed with pent up rage, a look Sam recognized. She knew he was angry about her intrusion but he was holding it in.

"Let me help Athrop." Sam kept her weapon at her side and hidden from Malton's view.

"You don't understand. I am helping him. Please retire to your room, and I will explain all in the morning." Malton kept his eyes on Sam as he placed the metal back in the fire.

"I won't let you keep hurting him." Sam stood tall as she spoke.

"Do not interfere. You do not understand our ways. I am his father and it is my duty to help my son reach adulthood." Malton lifted the glowing metal from the fire and moved it back towards Athrop.

"Stop!" Sam lifted her gun and pointed it at Malton. Malton tensed slightly but stopped moving.

"Don't hurt my father! I need him to do this! Please!" Athrop screamed.

Sam looked from father to son. "I don't understand."

"This is part of the maturing process. I am helping my son shed his youth. You are welcome to stay and watch if Athrop agrees, but you may not interfere." Malton looked to his son.

"She may stay."

Sam lowered her weapon and stepped further into the room. Malton placed the glowing metal against his son's arm again. Sam winced as the boy screamed. She could hear his skin sizzling and it made her nauseous. Sam watched in horror as Malton removed the metal and placed it beside the fire. He took a long strip of moist towel and wrapped the boy's burned arm. Sam noticed his other arm, torso, and both legs were already wrapped in similar strips of cloth.

"Go lie down." Malton pointed the boy towards a high wooden table. Athrop slowly moved to the table and fought through his pain to climb up and lie down. Sam stayed back near the entrance.

"Most youth will do only part of their body each day but my son has decided to do everything all in one night. This was a very brave decision, and one I hope he will not regret by morning." Malton moved towards the table. He placed several buckets on the floor. Sam stepped closer as he began to unwrap the boy's right leg.

The site and smell of his burned flesh renewed Sam's desire to vomit. She swallowed several times.

"If it makes you ill, you are welcome to leave." Malton glanced over his shoulder at Sam, who was getting noticeably pale.

"I'm fine. What are you doing now?"

"I am removing his youth." Malton dropped the cloth in one bucket. He took a long sharp knife from a sheath on his belt and sliced into the boy's leg. Athrop didn't react. Malton began peeling back the burned skin. Sam stepped closer. The skin under the burn was a light purple, very different from the blue skin he'd had at dinner. Sam glanced up at Athrop's face and noticed he was asleep. Malton saw the direction of her eyes.

"It is a tiring process. I also suspect he hasn't been sleeping well for several days. When it is time to shed one's youth it can be very irritating. This probably also explains his recent poor behavior, such as what you saw displayed at dinner. I should have noticed the warning signs but I have been very busy getting ready for your visit." Malton removed more burned skin from the boy's leg. The skin underneath looked fresh and unharmed.

"He's molting? You're helping him molt?" Sam's brow was creased as her brain processed the sight before her.

"Do your people not need new covering as you go from childhood to adulthood?"

"No. Our skin lets us grow continually."

"I did not realize this would be so new to you. I apologize for not warning you. I did not know until after you had retired that Athrop would need to…molt as you say…tonight."

"How often do you have to do this?" Sam stared at the boys fully exposed leg as Malton moved to his other side.

"Only once. In old days this process took weeks. It was very uncomfortable and most youth hated being seen as it occurred. Now we know we can use heat to speed the drying process. It increases the pain of the process but reduces the time to a day or two. Not all youth choose this route but my son apparently has agreed to take a young lady to a school function in three days. He did not want to be blue and purple when he arrives to pick her up."

Sam smiled. The reasoning behind the painful molting process seemed very human. She thought about all the girls who under go painful waxing processes before the prom and realized that although this seemed more barbaric the reasoning was the same. Sam put her handgun in her pocket and stepped all the way up to the table.

"I myself have participated in painful rituals in order to look good for a member of the opposite sex." Sam smiled at Malton who placed another section of burned skin in a bucket.

"Wooing has always been about putting oneself in positions of vulnerability and potential pain. I suspect that is true for all people."

"Can I help?" Sam offered her assistance as Malton finished the second leg and began unwrapping the boy's torso.

"It would go faster if you assisted me. Are you sure this doesn't offend you?"

"Positive. I'm just glad I didn't shoot you before you told me what was happening."

Malton smiled. "And I am glad I decided to explain the process instead of severing those delicate looking blood vessels in your neck."

Sam rubbed her hand across her neck and smiled. "Then we agree…again. Waiting for the whole story was the best choice, for both of us."

--

"I'm calling off the search." General Landry sat heavily in the chair at the head of the briefing room table, waiting for the men of SG-1 to protest.

"You can't!" Daniel stood and screamed. "She's out there somewhere! We know someone covered up all signs of our time on the planet. Those same people probably have Sam!"

"I understand that Doctor Jackson, but until I have some way of figuring out who those people are, this search can't progress. Neither the UAV nor the search teams have found any evidence to lead us to these people. We left a FRED behind so if Colonel Carter reappears on P5X-642, she will be able to dial in and speak with us. I have no choice, Doctor Jackson. I'm sorry." General Landry left the room, preemptively ending any fight.

--

General Landry reached out for the phone. His fist tightened around the receiver. He hated making these calls and it was tougher when you were calling an old friend, even if that friend did understand the risks. The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Hi Jack. It's Hank. Got a minute?" General Landry's sullen tone tipped Jack off.

"This doesn't sound like a social call."

"It's not. I'm officially listing her as MIA."

Jack sighed. He'd really hoped it wouldn't come to this. "So what did you find?"

"That's just it. There's no trace of her. There's no sign anyone has ever been on that planet, including SG-1. No one has been able to explain it."

"So what happens now?" Jack's question was the one question Landry wished he could either avoid or answer.

"I don't know, Jack. I wish I had an answer but I don't."

Thanks again to the best beta ever – Tricia. I refuse to tell you her login name because I don't want any of you to steal her!


	3. Let the Tour Begin

But she's here!

Chapter 3: Let the Tour Begin

Malton left Sam in the kitchen as he helped his son to bed. He returned shortly and put a pot on the stove to warm.

"I will understand if you are too tired to accompany me this morning." Malton poured the warmed fluid into two cups. He handed one to Sam. She breathed in the sweet aroma.

"I'll be fine. I'm very excited about getting to see more of your technology and I'm use to surviving on little sleep."

"Excellent. I will take some time to clean up and let my wife know everything went well. Then we can leave."

"I'd like to clean up also." Sam sipped the refreshing drink. "What do you call this?"

"It is valiesen. You will find it provides you with energy." Malton swallowed his entire cup in one gulp.

--

"I know you enjoyed our tour of the production facility this morning, but I promise I saved the best for last. This is our research and design facility. This is where my office is housed. I suspect you are very familiar with the atmosphere of a research facility and it is probably where you will feel most at home." Malton held a door open for Sam. There were four large security guards stationed at the entrance. Sam's hand was passed over a light. Her hand tingled for a moment.

"That will allow you access to every department as long as you are in my company. If we are separated for any reason I recommend you stay still and wait for assistance. These gentlemen are not as pleasant when there is a potential security breech. I must remind you that you are not allowed to view any of the schematics or design information referencing our technology, even the protective shields your fellow soldiers were so interested in learning more about."

"I understand. I promise to be a good girl." Sam smiled at her host and guide. They walked through the blueprint production room, prototype construction department, and sales management division before going to the pièce de résistance research and development. There was another set of burly guards in front of the R&D department. Sam walked through a scanner and the guards briefly discussed her clearance level.

"You must stay with your escort at all times, ma'am."

"I understand. Thank-you." Sam politely nodded to the large guard who opened the door for her.

"This is where I spend most of my days. Let me introduce you to some of our head engineers." Malton led Sam through the elaborate network of offices and corridors. He introduced her to over fifteen different lead engineers. Based on the number of offices they skipped, she assumed there must be a large number of other engineers working for the lead engineers. The last stop on the walk was a huge room that had workstations along the perimeter and a large table in the center that had recessed computer screens under glass. Eight of the lead engineers, intrigued with their visitor, followed them into the room.

"This is what we refer to as our brainstorming room. When we get a request for something new, we generally pull experts from different areas to brainstorm about different ways to accomplish the goal requested by the government or other agency. Usually we will let the top two to five ideas move into the design phase. The top design, as picked by myself and a few others, moves to prototype production, often with a few tweaks."

"This is amazing. The whole place looks fantastic. How often do you design something from scratch?"

"Most of the time we can put together something to fit the customers needs by piecing together things we already produce. Two or three times a year we have to truly start from the beginning. Those are the projects I love the most. It's that drive to come up with the never-before-seen that has kept me vitalized all these years. We employ the best and brightest in the engineering field. Every year graduates scramble to impress us in the hopes they will get a foot in the door. We have very low turn over, and our employees know they are appreciated."

"I'm sure there are many things we can learn from each other, not only about technology, but also about employee satisfaction."

"We have found employee satisfaction in every department and at every level is vital if we are to remain a secure facility. We have to go beyond just paying well, although that is part of the solution, because a competitor could always buy an employee. We try to make sure our employees feel valued and respected. If they want to come here every day, they are less likely to take their skills and knowledge else where."

"Many of our corporations have discovered the same thing."

"Jarnus! Jarnus!"

Sam turned as one of the men in the entourage fell to the floor unconscious. The woman closest to him kept screaming his name. Malton bent down and placed both of his hands in Jarnus' armpits.

"His heart is not functioning. Call for a medical team immediately and give us space."

Sam was pushed aside as the engineers surrounding Malton shuffled. One of them bent down to assist Malton. More people entered the room as the commotion spread into the halls. Eager onlookers pushed through the door, making the room more crowded. Normally Sam would have left the room so the medical personnel would have room to work, but she been warned to stay with Malton. Internally Sam giggled at the sight before her as she realized rubbernecking wasn't just an Earth habit!

Sam was pushed further back until she had no choice but land in a chair. She hit a console as she sat and a diagram appeared on the screen. She glanced at the drawing and pulled her eyes away. It resembled one of the shield generators she'd seen being assembled this morning. The engineer in her wanted to immerse herself in the drawing, but the ambassador in her knew better. She kept her eyes focused away from the screen.

The medical team arrived and resuscitated the engineer. The crowd began to dissipate as he was wheeled out of the room.

"What are you doing?" One of the lead engineers was staring at Sam as he yelled. Sam looked around before realizing he was yelling at her. "What were you looking for in there? Did you find anything interesting?"

"I didn't…I was pushed into this chair and …I didn't…I promise." Sam fumbled for an answer as she stood up from the chair. Malton watched the interaction, waiting for Sam to either admit her indiscretion or defend herself.

"Why else would you be sitting there, if it wasn't to spy on us?" The engineer stepped closer.

"You are wrong, Milson. I watched her closely. She never touched the screen and the image that appears is old. It was pulled up last week when a team met in here to discuss the shield modifications I requested." The man, who was slightly taller than Sam but still hunched over, stepped closer to the console. He leaned over Sam and began punching in codes.

"See. According to the record this console has not been activated since last week. The picture came up when the console was jostled as Colonel Carter was pushed into the chair."

Malton looked at Sam's defender and nodded his agreement. He was satisfied by the explanation and glad Colonel Carter had been exonerated. "I believe you owe our guest an apology, Milson."

Milson clenched his fists, but he bowed before Sam. "Please forgive my incorrect assumption."

"I understand the mistake. I respect the security measures you employ, and I would not violate the trust Malton and your government have placed in me."

--

Jack had been impatient through the whole flight. As soon as he got to the SGC, he went to Hank's office.

"Enter." Jack opened the door as soon as Hank bid him entrance. "Jack, I'm glad you could come and visit."

"You know this isn't just a visit. I can't sit in Washington while one of my friends is missing." Jack paced the length of the office before stopping to look out the window into the briefing room.

"You're just in time to watch us dial the planet again. We've been dialing every other day trying to make radio contact." General Landry stood and walked around his desk to join Jack.

"I know. I've been keeping up with the reports. There's still no word." Jack followed Landry to the spiral staircase.

"Perhaps today will be the day. I've heard you're one hell of a lucky fellow. Maybe that will work in our favor." Landry slapped Jack on the shoulder as they reached the control room. He tried to smile, but it immediately faded from his face.

Walter felt the tension rolling off General O'Neill. General Landry wasn't making him feel any better. He finished typing in all seven symbols as Daniel and Teal'c arrived. Jack bent down to the microphone.

"This is Sierra Gulf Charlie calling Colonel Carter. Colonel Carter, do you read?" Jack watched the stargate, as if he could make her respond by staring hard enough. "Come on Sam. Answer us." Jack gripped the microphone so hard his knuckles turned white. "I repeat this is Sierra Gulf Charlie calling Colonel Carter. Please respond"

Jack and Daniel kept trying until Landry put his hand on Jack's back. Jack stood up and shook his head. Daniel looked down at his shoes and sighed.

"It's been fifteen minutes. We can't tie the gate up too long…in case one of the off-world teams needs an escape route." General Landry's request made sense but that didn't make anyone feel better.

--

"Samantha, let me introduce to the company's owner, Mr. Listin Orfel." Malton directed Sam's attention to the man who had just defended her. Sam's eyes widened and she smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I appreciate your help."

"It was my pleasure. It was obvious that although you were tempted, you did not give in. I am not sure I could have acted as well under similar circumstances."

"Thank-you." Sam blushed.

"Do you already have plans for dinner?"

Sam looked at Malton. "I'm staying with Malton while I'm on your planet."

"Yes, I know. I was fully briefed before your arrival. I'm afraid I travel so often the government worried I wouldn't be a suitable host. Malton and his family are trusted friends and I knew your stay there would be wonderful. It would please me immensely if you would join me for dinner, assuming it is alright with Malton and his wife." Listin looked towards Malton.

"My wife will understand, and I'm sure Colonel Carter would love to hear more about the company." Both men looked at Sam.

"Then I guess it is up to you, Colonel Carter." Liston watched Sam carefully as he spoke.

"Please call me Sam. I'd be pleased to join you for dinner."

Listin smiled. "Excellent. I'll have a speeder pick you up in three hours. Please dress casually. There is no need for formality between friends." Listin bowed before leaving. Sam couldn't help but smile.

"Half the planet will be jealous of you tomorrow." Malton watched Sam turn towards him.

"Why?"

"Listin Orfel is the most sought after husband on the planet. He's rich, handsome, and well respected. He is a truly decent man. Many women want to be his mate but few are truly deserving of his attention." Malton directed Sam to his office as he regaled her with stories of his boss.

--

"Hey, Cassie. It's Jack." Jack leaned his chair back as he spoke into the receiver.

"Hey."

"I've been getting your messages but I've been tied up…sorry."

"I understand. Did you find her?"

"No, sweetie. I'm sorry." Jack leaned further back, balancing his chair on the back two legs.

"I'm coming home."

Jack sat forward, letting the front two legs crash to the floor. "Oh no you are not. Carter would kick my rear if you left school. She's been gone longer then this before, and she always makes it home."

"I can't just sit here and not know anything."

"Sitting here won't be any easier…trust me. At least going to class gives you something else to focus on."

"It isn't working. I feel too out of the loop."

"I'll call everyday."

Cassie sighed.

"I promise. As long as I'm in the neighborhood, so to speak, I'll call. If I can't call, somebody else will."

Cassie didn't respond.

"As much as I'd love to see you, we both know Carter wants you to stay in school. She'll blame herself when she gets back, if you leave school. You don't want to add that to her load do you?"

"So now you're using guilt to get me to stay here?"

"If it's working, I am."

"Jack, please…"

"I mean it, Cassie. There's nothing you can do here. I won't even be able to get you in the mountain. Stay in school, do well, make us all proud."

Cassie sighed again. "This isn't fair."

"I know."

"I'll stay…until break. Then I'm coming home."

"You can always come visit when you're on break. We love having you around."

"Bring her home, Jack. I need her."

"I know. I gotta go. I love ya."

"I love you too."

Thanks again to my beta Tricia! She keeps me straight!


	4. Chapter 4

But she's here!

Chapter 4: A night out

Sam was escorted to the balcony at the back of the mansion. The stars glittered overhead and the air felt slightly cool against Sam's face. Torches lined the balcony, providing a romantic atmosphere that made Sam a little uncomfortable.

"Sam, it is good to see you again." Listin walked up behind Sam. Sam turned to him and smiled.

"It's beautiful out here."

"This view is why I decided to build here." Listin swung his arm in front of him. He stepped closer and put an arm around Sam's waist. She stiffened slightly, but tried to relax so she wouldn't offend her host.

"Please, come and sit." Listin led Sam to the table and pulled out a chair for her. Servants arrived with trays filled with food and drink, and left with a much lighter load. Sam tried numerous different dishes and enjoyed most of them. There was a pink vegetable she found especially appealing; it tasted a bit like chocolate.

"You seem to appreciate dralik. It is a favorite among my wives." Listin smiled, but Sam stopped chewing.

"Your wives? I assumed you weren't married."

Listin laughed. "Why would I need such a large home if I lived alone?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip. "Wives you say? How many times have you been married?"

"Twelve, but only ten of my wives are still with me."

Sam's eyes widened but she quickly reined in her shock. "You live here with ten wives? And they don't mind you having dinner with me tonight?"

"Why would they? I often date. It is how I was able to meet and marry twelve times. They also date. My third wife is married to four men. My sixth wife is married to two men, although I think a third may propose soon." Listin smiled again. "I take it from your reaction that having multiple spouses is not common on your world."

"There are some cultures who believe in polygamy, but monogamy is more the norm."

"It sounds boring, but I suppose there is something to be said for having less daily drama. Having ten wives, who in most cases also have other husbands, adds up to many opinions. The results can be interesting and at times stressful. Are you married?"

Sam shook her head. "No."

"Is that normal at your age?"

Sam sat up straight. "I am not that old…really."

"Forgive me. It is possible that we begin marrying at a much younger age."

"I guess you'd have to start early if you were going to have enough time for all those spouses."

Listin laughed. "I like your sense of humor, Sam."

--

"So what have you discovered so far?" The director walked along beside Sam's body, running his hands over her pronounced curves. The length and grace of her body amazed and aroused him.

"The newling birther is capable of adapting its belief system to include acceptance of an alien system, even when it goes against its own. It was enraged over the treatment of the child based on its own system of beliefs, but when it questioned its host and learned the explanation, it accepted a different set of beliefs as valid. It has made ethically sound decisions, but there are memories that make it doubt other newlings would react similarly." The short stocky scientist referred to his tablet as he spoke.

"Are you planning to continue the scenarios?"

"Oh, yes. I have learned much but it still holds a wealth of information within its mind. It will take time to gather it all."

"What have you learned about it physically? Does it carry the disease?" The director caressed Sam's long shapely legs as he spoke.

"There is no evidence of the disease but it has not produced young. There are chemicals in its body to prevent the formation of young. I believe it willingly introduced these chemicals into its body. It has memories of couplings with seed bearing newlings, but there is neither physical evidence nor memories indicating these couplings have resulted in young."

The director gasped and shook his head. "Then the younglings have not learned from those who came before."

"It does desire to be mated and have young, but believes it has not yet found the correct mate."

"But you said it had mated?" The director moved back up to her face and ran his short stubby fingers over her delicate features.

"Yes, but all of those mates proved to be unacceptable."

"Unacceptable how?" The director looked over at the scientist.

The scientist looked down at his tablet. "One of its mates attempted to dominate it. Its memories indicate it is a strong and independent newling that did not like being treated in such a manner. Another of its mates lived at a great distance and confused it with another. That seed bearer died by her hand. Another of the seed bearers died in battle. I do not think the birther saw the other as a potential life mate, even though the seed bearer made it clear it desired to be mates. The birther felt another was too different. That potential mate died protecting the birther. The last of the birthers mates was ultimately deemed undesirable. The birthers reasons for rejecting the seed bearers do not seem to show a pattern but I will continue to explore this."

"I find it hard to believe there is not a common reason behind the failure of this birther to mate. Are there no seed bearers to whom it has not rejected?"

"There is one to whom it believes mating might be prolonged, but it has not yet joined with that seed bearer."

"We have to determine if all newlings act as this one. They may be the answer to all our problems so we must investigate all possibilities." The director gave Sam one last lingering caress before leaving the room.

--

Landry sat at the head of the briefing room table. Although it was unusual for the ranking General to take a side seat, Jack didn't want Landry's chair. He felt more comfortable sitting in his old seat, the one beside where Sam often sat.

"Thor still hasn't answered our messages. Colonel Carter hasn't made any attempt to contact us using the FRED left behind. We have no additional clues about her whereabouts." Landry looked at Jack, Daniel, Teal'c and Cameron. "I'm sorry gentlemen but I don't think we will be able to continue to suspend your normal missions in this search for Colonel Carter."

"But General Landry, we…" Daniel leaned forward as he began the debate. He was shocked to be cut off before he began.

"He's right, Daniel. The gate checks can be reduced to once a week. I'll check in each week from Washington to see if there are any changes. I'm sure Thor will come by as soon as he can." Jack pushed his chair away from the table.

"You're the last person I thought would give up on Sam." Daniel glared at Jack. Jack sighed and stopped moving away from the table.

"I haven't given up on her." Jack tightened his grip on the edge of the table. "Carter will return. I have complete faith in her ability to get home, but at this time there isn't anything we can do to help her. She's the strongest person I've ever met, and she'll do it, but for now she'll have to do it alone."

"This is the same as giving up. What if she needs our help?"

Jack grimaced, but returned Daniel's glare. "I'm sure she'd appreciate our help, but we don't even have one decent clue, Daniel! I can be back here in a matter of hours. If we get any leads, we'll go after them…I promise. Right now we have to concentrate on doing our jobs, and for me that means Washington. For you that means getting back out there and finding ways to fight the Ori." Jack stood up and stepped back from the table.

--

Sam walked up to the DHD and dialed Earth. The gate swirled around and the coordinates locked. Once the wormhole was established Sam entered her IDC and turned on the FRED.

"Colonel Carter reporting to the SGC."

The screen on the FRED came to life. "Morning, Colonel. The General is on his way."

She bantered politely with Walter while she waited. It only took General Landry a few moments to get to the control room. "Report, Colonel."

"I have spent the last several days on tours of different technology companies. I have seen the planetary shield used in a demonstration. They also have suits designed for combat use that can absorb energy. They should be effective against zats, but I haven't had a chance to test that theory yet. The best thing I've seen so far are weapons capable of fracturing crystals. They could be used to disable most Goa'uld technology. I hope it might also damage Ori weapons." Sam's face beamed.

"That sounds exciting, Colonel. How long until you expect to have access to some of the designs or plans?"

"That may take a while, sir. I have earned the trust of a few people, but there are several people who need to be convinced of our worthiness before they'll be willing to share. I have offered some helpful advice, and that's earned me some respect as a scientist. There is also supposed to be a party of sorts being held in three days. I've been told I can invite some of our representatives."

"Help will be forthcoming. Look for them tomorrow afternoon. Good job, Colonel."

Sam glanced down at her wrist and noticed the IDC she'd entered had not been accepted. She looked back up at the camera to ask if there was a problem, but the FRED disengaged and the wormhole shut down. Sam's interest was piqued, but she decided her questions could wait until the next radio check.

--

Landry picked up the phone on the first ring. "Landry"

"Hi, Hank. It's Jack. Any changes?"

"This week's check went unanswered."

"Right…Thor sent me a message. They don't have any information that could assist us. That was the last chip I thought I could call in for help. I'm stumped now."

"We all are."


	5. Not what she thought

But she's here!

Chapter 5: Home at last?

Jack acknowledged Carter as soon as he stepped through the wormhole. "Colonel, it's good to see. Let me introduce Ambassador Martin and Captain Hines."

Carter engaged in the necessary pleasantries as she accompanied the group to Listin's mansion. "Rooms have been arranged for you here. Listin owns the largest defensive weapon manufacturing operations on Draknar. He will be our host tonight."

"Nice fella?" Jack's eyes were roaming around the main hall.

"Yes, sir. I've found him to be pleasant, intelligent, respected, and honorable." Sam watched Jack as he turned his head to stare at her.

"Honorable? How many honorable men do you know make this much money in the weapons business?" Jack swung his arm through the arm, emphasizing the grandeur of the mansion entrance.

"Few, I suspect, but I happen to be one of them." Listin stepped out of a side room and smiled at the group assembled before him. His eyes lingered on Sam, and his smile widened. "I do not expect you to instantly trust or believe me. My people understand the importance of earning trust. Lawin will show you to your rooms. I hope the accommodations please you." Listin motioned to a slight young woman standing to the side. She smiled and motioned the group to follow her. Listin pulled Sam aside.

"I've also reserved a room for you. My wives have everything you will need to get ready for the evening, and if there is something of your own you would prefer, I have arranged to have your things were brought here. It should be here before long."

Sam's eyes widened. "I hadn't realized…I mean I guess that makes sense. Thank-you."

"It was my pleasure." Listin kissed her hand and led her to her room.

--

Jack watched the party from the sidelines. He'd been introduced to too many people whose names he didn't care to remember. He'd only come to this thing to check on Carter and he was regretting that decision. He scanned the room for her one more time. It was still early, but he was still surprised she hadn't appeared yet. The room began to murmur and he followed their gazes to the top of the stairs.

Sam wore a low cut silky looking black dress that had a long slit up her right leg. Jack saw a peek of her heels as she descended the steps. Everything about her made Jack's heart beat faster, including her escort. Her hand was on Listin's arm as he led her down the stairs. Jack instantly knew his initial feeling of dislike for this man was correct. Listin led Sam straight to the dance floor. The music had an unusual sound and Sam was obviously counting her steps and trying to move with the off beats, like the Draknarians. Jack's grip on his drink tightened. Listin was holding Sam close and whispering in her ear.

Sam danced two songs with Listin before he released her. He led her to a group of men gathered by the buffet table. Sam entered the animated conversation, and the men were laughing within moments. It was clear to Jack that they were mesmerized with her.

Jack made his way to her. "Excuse me, Colonel. May I speak with you for a moment?"

Sam smiled at Jack and excused herself from the alien scientists. "Is there a problem, sir?" Sam let him lead her out on the veranda.

"Hell yes, there's a problem." Jack turned to Sam as soon as they were outside and away from others. Sam was shocked at his tone.

"Sir?"

"Are you planning to join his harem?" Jack tried to tower over Sam, but she stood tall in her heels.

"That's uncalled for."

"Oh really. You looked pretty cozy on the dance floor." Jack stepped closer to Sam, reducing her personal space to less than an inch.

"I understand my job, and I will perform it well…sir. Unless I have failed in my duty as an officer, I don't see that you have the right to condemn my actions." Sam's face hardened, unsure what had prompted Jack's attack.

"This isn't about your duties as an officer." Jack sighed and looked up at the stars. "This is about us."

Sam stepped back. "Us?"

"Yes, us. Have you forgotten about us in the few days you've been here, or do you just like toying with me?"

Sam took another step back, but Jack reached out for her. "We shouldn't be having this conversation here."

"So where do you want to have it? My backyard wasn't right. The cabin wasn't right. Where should we discuss this?"

"We're still in the same chain of command! This conversation shouldn't be taking place at all!" Sam pulled out of his arms and threw herself backwards to escape his lunging arms.

"We can't keep waiting!" Jack took three steps towards her and reached out. Sam struggled to evade his arms and fell over the edge of the railing. "Sam!"

Sam felt herself falling. Her last conscious thought was 'damn that hurt' as her head hit the ground.

--

The alien stood in the center of the lecture hall stage and addressed his fellow scientists and the government officials. He was nervous, but he hid it well. He clutched his notepad as if it was a security blanket.

"We have learned a great deal from the latest subject. It originates from the terra system. It has the height of old ones, several tonans taller than the Nox, Asgard, or us. It displays moderate intelligence with high physical and endurance levels. Its problem solving skills are excellent, but it has a poor understanding of the physical laws of the universe. It has moderate ethical and moral development. Let me demonstrate." A screen behind the small man flickered to life.

--

Sam woke to the sound of rhythmic beeping. She knew the sound well and was relieved to be in the infirmary. As her eyes flickered open, she registered the feel of a hand holding hers. She rolled her head in the direction of her hand.

"Hey, beautiful. You've been out for a long time." Jack squeezed her hand and smiled. Sam's eyes widened, and she pulled her hand from his grasp.

"What is wrong with you? We're in the SGC!" Sam hoarsely whispered the warning.

"I know that, and I'm glad you know it. Doc was worried the hit to your head might have knocked out a bit of your brilliance." Jack grinned and his eyes twinkled.

"You know what I mean."

"I'm tired of hiding and waiting. The time is right for us."

"Did I miss the invitation to your retirement party? Or maybe you changed military branches? Did you get fired? Did I get fired?" Sam was panting.

"Don't get yourself all worked up. You just woke up. It can't be good for you." Jack's brow creased.

"Sir? I brought you some lunch." Jack looked up at the nurse holding a lunch tray. He smiled at her. "I see you're awake, Colonel Carter. I'll inform the doctor." The nurse smiled as she deposited the tray and left. Jack took the top off the tray and looked at his lunch.

"Yuck, I hate orange jello."

Sam pushed herself up and looked at the tray of food. The iced tea, chicken and green beans looked delicious after the weeks of eating alien concoctions. Just as she was getting ready to ask for her own tray she noticed the purple pear-shaped fruit.

"What's that?" Sam sat up fully.

"What?" Jack glanced at the tray in confusion. Sam pointed to the foreign looking fruit.

"That!"

"Oh, right…you were off world when these were brought back by SG-9. They are so sweet. You'll love them." Jack picked up the alien fruit and sliced it open.

"Alien food is being served in the commissary?"

"I thought it was about time."

"Where am I, and what have you done to me?" Sam began looking around the room, trying to decide what else felt wrong.

"You're in the SGC infirmary. You'll be ok. Doc will be here in a minute. Just relax." Jack pushed the tray away and reached out to calm Sam. She pushed him away and scooted to the opposite edge of the bed.

"Doc!" Jack's slightly panicked call got an immediate response. The door behind him opened, and Janet walked in carrying a chart. As soon as Sam saw her, she jumped off the bed and began screaming.

"Let me go! I won't tell you anything! Let me out of here!" Sam backed away from them and ran for the door. She was barefoot and her gown was open in the back, but she didn't care. She knew she had to get away from these people pretending to be her friends.

--

"As you can see it has a very strong subconscious. It has been fighting my attempts to scan its brain since the beginning. It was easier to watch its reactions to scenarios but even that approach is beginning to fail." The screen behind the small man went dark.

"It does not carry the disease, but I fear the choice it and the other newlings are making could doom them to follow our path, a path neither we nor the Nox or Asgard have been able to escape. If they are forced, they also may choose ascension, something of which it is aware, leaving us without any options. I recommend we contact them and seek their assistance." He laid his pad aside as the room filled with murmurs.

--

Sam again woke to the sound of beeping. She groaned internally as she realized she was in the infirmary again. Sam opened her eyes and looked to the side of the bed. He was there, sitting in a chair and playing with his yo-yo.

"Why are you holding me? I won't tell you anything."

Jack looked and frowned. "We aren't holding you."

"So I'm free to leave?"

"Well…uh…I guess, once the doc clears you and everything."

"So I'm being held." Sam turned her head and looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't know what you went through out there, Carter, but I promise you this home. You're really back."

"Like you'd say anything else. My name is Samantha Carter. I'm a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. My serial number is…"

"I get it. I get it."

Dr. Lam entered as Jack interrupted Sam.

"I see you're awake. Mind answering a few questions for me?" Lam smiled. Trying to ignore Jack's humph sound.

"My name is Samantha Carter. I'm a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. My serial…"

"Well I'm glad you know who you are, but that really wasn't where I planned to begin." Lam glanced over at Jack who shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm glad you guys corrected the doctor in this round. You might want to skip the purple fruit also." Sam grimaced at Lam and Jack.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but I don't know to what you are referring." Lam's brow creased as she watched Sam.

"Right. So what are these questions?" Sam looked at Lam, ignoring Jack's presence.

"Since you've covered who you are, let's start with where you were when you disappeared."

"I was on Draknar. I was sent to gain their trust and learn about their technology."

"Who was with you?" Jack leaned forward as he asked the question. Sam glanced in his direction.

"I went alone, but you, Ambassador Martin and Captain Hines joined me yesterday, at least it was yesterday by my recollection. How long have I been out?" Sam watched Jack and Lam share a look. "What?"

"You were found three days ago on P5X-642 when we did our weekly communications check. You've been missing for a month and a half. You were last seen leaving 642 for Earth, but we had no record of you dialing in or returning. When the rest of SG-1 came back without you, the search began. We didn't find any sign of you, and all evidence of SG-1's time on the planet had been erased. We knew somebody had cleaned up, and we figured that same somebody had you. We had no clues about who that somebody could be. All we could do was keep dialing the planet and calling for you. Three days ago we dialed up, turned on the FRED and saw you lying in the grass in front of the stargate." Jack fumbled with his yo-yo. "I never gated out to meet you, and I don't know an Ambassador Martin or Captain Hines."

"So you're saying the days I spent on Draknar weren't real?" Sam looked from Jack to Lam and back.

"I'd say that's a distinct possibility Colonel. I'd like to do a CAT scan since you've apparently undergone some kind of cerebral manipulation. I also want you to be evaluated by a psychiatrist." Lam was writing in the chart as she spoke.

Sam leaned back against the raised gurney and grumbled. "I should have known I'd have to see the psych guys."

--

Daniel, Teal'c and Cameron came by just before lunch. They'd been by each day to see her while she was unconscious.

"Hey, Sam. It's good to have you back and awake." Daniel grinned broadly as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"Thanks."

"I had faith you would return to us." Teal'c nodded.

"I appreciate that, Teal'c."

"Yeah, we all did. Are you feeling ok?" Cameron smiled and swayed back and forth.

"I suppose." Sam eyed all the men suspiciously. They were acting too nervous. "So Daniel, how's your naquadria research going?"

Daniel glanced at Jack before answering. "Not so hot, as I don't do any."

"Oh, right. How's your daughter Teal'c?"

Teal'c tilted his head to his left. "If you mean my daughter by marriage, she is fine."

Sam nodded. "Cameron, have you found the secret of the arctic yet?"

"I think you mean the Antarctic, and I thought General O'Neill was the secret. Are we passing your test?" Cameron leaned forward, resting the palms of his hands on the foot of her bed.

"This doesn't really prove anything." Sam's voice inched up several notches. "You've been messing around inside my head, so of course you know the answers!"

All four men shared a look.

"I'm not crazy…you're just not real. I don't know why I care so much if imaginary people believe in my sanity or not." Sam sighed and pulled the covers higher over her chest.

"You care because we are real, and you can feel it." Daniel reached out for her hand. He squeezed her limp fingers, disappointed in the lack of response.

"If you say so." Sam scowled.

"So ask us anything…anything at all and we'll answer it." Daniel sat up straight and opened up his arms.

"You don't get it. I've apparently been living inside my own head for quite a while without realizing it and it felt 100 real. It felt just as real as this, so I have no reason to believe this is any more or less real than that. I have no idea how to tell real from fake!" Sam was panting. Her eyes were wild, and she was sitting up straight on the gurney by the time she finished screaming.

"It's ok. We get it." Jack tried to soothe her, but she gave him a patronizing look. "We're trying to understand." He sighed.


	6. Real?

But she's here!

Chapter 6: Proving reality

Jack sat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk from General Landry. Dr. Lam was sitting beside him. Daniel was leaning against the wall near the door and Teal'c was standing tall behind Jack's chair. Cameron paced the room.

"So what can we do to help her understand this is real?" Daniel searched the room for a face holding an answer. No one immediately spoke up.

"Could we not bring her brother or Cassandra to see her?" Teal'c offered the suggestion in his standard monotone. Jack's eyes widened and he smiled, but Dr. Lam instantly began to shake her head.

"I'm afraid there isn't much we can do to convince her that this is real. She believes someone is using the information within her brain to construct a false reality. There isn't anything we know about her that she doesn't have in her brain that we could use to convince her this is real."

Jack frowned. It scared him that he'd followed her logic. "I see your point. That means there isn't anything we can do to convince her."

"I didn't say that. It will take time, possibly a lot of time but Colonel Carter will slowly begin to accept this is real. I recommend that she continue to see a psychiatrist for the time being."

"Oh, she'll love that." Jack smirked, allowing the sarcasm to fill the room. "She's going to wish this wasn't real." He leaned back in his chair and shook his head.

"You aren't going to make her stay locked in the mountain until she accepts this as reality are you?" Daniel pushed off the wall and stepped towards General Landry as he spoke.

"No, of course not, Dr. Jackson. Colonel Carter is to have full access in the SGC restored immediately. I will decide when she can leave the mountain in a couple of days." The General examined the long faces in the room and wished he had a better answer for them.

--

Sam's first stop after being released from the infirmary was her lab. She slid the door open and stood gazing at the computers and her lab bench. Her laptop was closed and lying on the bench. The picture of Cassie was beside her CD player. Sam stepped in and ran her hand over all the familiar items. She searched for something out of place and finally she found it. Her in box was on the wrong corner of the lab bench. Sam gripped the edge of the bench and stared at the mesh box that was the first evidence she had that everything she was living wasn't real.

"Carter? Are you ok?" Jack stood in the doorway and watched Sam staring at her bench. He'd seen a moment of either panic or resentment cross her face, and it scared him. He didn't want to lose her, and he wasn't even sure who he was fighting against to keep her.

"This isn't right."

"What isn't right?" Jack stepped into the room, but allowed Sam to maintain her personal space.

"My in box. It sits on that corner of the table. It's in the wrong place."

Jack nodded. "And that's how you're going to determine if this is reality."

Sam's face erupted in anger. "That's all I've ever had! A clock in the wrong place, a picture sitting on a different table, a phone not where I left it, being sent on a mission alone and knowing it didn't feel right but not being able to voice it. It's the small stuff. It's always the small stuff." Sam voice trailed off to a whisper.

"You've been gone a long time and people have been in your lab looking for things. If you'd like I can check and see if things were moved."

Sam shook her head. "An explanation won't help. There were always explanations."

"Ooookaaaay. How about we go get something to eat? Commissary food isn't great, but I hear it gets worse when they carry it down to the infirmary." Jack forced himself to smile as she glanced in his direction.

"Sure. I guess the others will join us?"

"Probably."

--

Sam picked up her tray and walked through the line. She took the mashed potatoes, beef stew, and peas without much reaction. The last item she picked up was her usual cup of blue jello. She saw Daniel sitting across from Cameron and Teal'c, so she headed in that direction.

"May I join you?" Sam hesitated as she stood beside Daniel.

"You need not ask, Colonel Carter. You are always welcome at our table." Teal'c smiled at her.

"Thanks." Sam sat down beside Daniel whose face lit up with a beaming smile.

"It's fantastic to have you back." He bumped his shoulder into hers. "We really missed you."

"I missed you guys too." Sam picked up her spoon and dipped it into the blue jello. She slowly moved the spoon from the cup to her mouth. The guys shared looks as they watched her. Sam was a creature of routine, and she always saved her jello for last. This change was making the guys nervous. Sam stared at the jello, but didn't open her mouth.

Jack broke the tension. "Doesn't it look right?"

Sam glanced over at him and then realized all four men were watching her. "Sorry. I guess I'm a little concerned it won't taste right."

"Oh?" Cameron's confusion played across his face. What possible relevance could the taste of jello play?

"If it doesn't taste right, then I'll know."

"So if it does taste right? Does that mean everything real?" Daniel questioned.

Sam glanced at Daniel and shook her head. "I wish it was that simple, Daniel."

Daniel reached out for her hand. "So do we."

"Now eat that jello, and let's get on with lunch before this slop gets cold." Jack pushed some of his peas into the mashed potatoes and began to stir. Sam tentatively placed the jello in her mouth. Her eyes closed and she savored the taste.

"So?" Sam looked over at Cameron.

"It's just as I remember it."

Cameron smiled at her words, but Daniel and Jack frowned as they glanced at one another. They understood her phrasing and although they hadn't lost this battle, they also hadn't won.

--

"She's been working in her lab for three days without any problems. She interacts with SG-1 and the lab techs just fine. There isn't any reason to keep her trapped in here."

"I understand your point, Jack, but we both know she hasn't yet accepted this as her reality."

"That could take years. How long is she going to be a prisoner?" Jack sat forward.

"She's not a prisoner, Jack. Please calm down."

"Sorry, Hank, but this is driving her insane." Jack saw Hank hide a smirk. "Bad choice of words. What if she came back to Washington with me?"

"Jack?"

"Ok, it's a stretch I know, but there's things she can do at the Pentagon, and I'd be able to look after her."

"True, but do you think she'd go for it?"

"You're not letting her off world any time soon are you?"

Hank hesitated and looked out the large window that separated his office from the briefing room. "I don't think it's safe to let her go off world until she has accepted this as reality."

"I agree, and until that happens, she needs to be contributing. She can't stay here watching her friends and teammates going off world while passively working in her lab. It's just not who she is…she won't come back to us that way."

"And she would in Washington?"

Jack shook his head. "I honestly don't know."

"Don't you think it's about time we include her in this decision?"

"Probably."

Hank reached out to press the intercom button when the red light began to flash.

"Unscheduled off world activation. Unscheduled off world activation."

Hank pulled away from the button and stood. "Let's go see what we've got." Jack trailed along behind him, still deep in thought over Sam.

Hanks and Jack stood behind Walter. "There's still no IDC, sir."

"Keep the iris closed."

"Yes, sir."

All eyes were drawn to the gate when a very short man walked through the iris as if it were not even there. The guards raised their weapons, waiting for an order to fire.

General Landry grabbed the microphone. "Who are you?"

Before General Landry finished speaking all of the armaments in the gateroom disappeared and reappeared as a pile in the far corner. The security forces were looking around them, confused and angered by the sudden loss of their weapons. Jack had seen this trick before and he hurried down the steps, followed closely by General Landry.

"I am pleased to meet you both. I have come in search of the newling birther recently returned to your care."

Jack and Hank looked at each other in confusion. Hank stepped forward. "Do you mean Colonel Carter?"

"Is this how you refer to it?"

"It?" Jack stepped up beside Hank. The little man smiled and looked around the gateroom. "This room appears just as we saw in its mind. You newlings have done well in a short time by acquiring the skills necessary to control travel through the gate, but we are concerned about your lack of understanding about the importance of reproducing. I have been sent as an emissary to work with you." The little man bowed.

"Please follow me. We can sit and discuss…things." Hank led the little man up the stairs to the briefing room. Walter paged all the members of SG-1.

Sam stopped in the entrance. Teal'c stood behind her, giving her a bit of strength. She stepped into the briefing room and took her seat. It took them less then five minutes to congregate around the oval table.

"Ok, Mister…"

"You may call me Brin." The little man's head barely came above the table. Jack was working hard to not laugh at the sight before him.

"Mr. Brin, why have you come here today, and why did you kidnap Colonel Carter?"

"It was an extraordinary specimen. We learned a great deal through our studies. It is because of what we learned that we have come to you today. Normally when we finish with a specimen and release it, we do not follow up by visiting, but things are different this time." The serious small man looked at all the people around the room as he paused.

"Based on our research we fear you are all in danger of ceasing to exist, and we can not allow this to happen."

Hank shook his head. "What did you discover that you think will impact or existence?"

"Your choice to not bear young. Several hundreds of years ago, we along with three other races designed a biological weapon to end the existence of a powerful and dangerous common foe. It worked, but there were consequences we had not expected. Within three generations all four races found a significant decline in live births. Our scientists determined the biological weapon that wiped our enemy was eliminating our ability to reproduce." The small man looked down at his hands under the table as he paused. No one interrupted him.

"The old ones chose to seek a different existence where reproduction was no longer necessary. The Asgard turned to cloning, where their consciousness is placed in an empty shell of a body. The Nox create new individuals using artificial reproductive methods. We have also been using artificial reproductive methods but like the Asgard we are running out of variety in our code. If we do not find a solution soon our existence will end. We thought you were our answer."

"Why us?" Jack placed his hands on the table and leaned far forward, so he could see the little man's whole face.

"You are the descendents of the old ones. We hoped to find in you an answer to how the old ones created you. The specimen has not been affected by the weapon and this gave us hope until we discovered the specimen has not borne any young."

Sam blushed at his description of her. "She wasn't thrilled about being discussed as a specimen, and didn't think her reproductive choices should be open for debate."

"But Sam is only one individual. You can't judge us all by one person." Daniel jumped to the defense of Sam and all earthlings.

"We have not. In its mind we found memories of others who had also decided not reproduce. We also quickly scanned the minds of the two seed bearers. We applaud that you believe in having one lifelong mate, but the prevention of reproduction while you test potential mates, and the rules you maintain preventing mates from reproducing, could potentially lead you to the same end as your forefathers. I am here to warn you and instruct you on how to prevent this from happening." The little man placed his hands flat on the top of the table as he ended his speech.

Daniel stood up and walked over to the sergeant in the corner. He whispered in his ear. The man exited the room quickly. Daniel returned to his seat. "With your permission, sir, I'd like to share our population data with Mr. Brin."

"That may be appropriate once we get to know each other better. Mr. Brin, you spoke of the Asgard and Nox. Does your race know them well?" General Landry wasn't willing to share too much until he knew more.

"As I said we formed an alliance with them to defend ourselves against a powerful enemy. Our relationship lasted until the old ones left. We are still in communication with the Nox and Asgard, although we are not as close as before."

"You're the Furlings!" Daniel bounced in his chair as the answer spilled from his mouth.

"That is indeed what the others called us." The little man smiled.

"And you kidnapped Carter why again?" Jack still wasn't comfortable with their visitor.

"We have long remained hidden from potential enemies and those who would exploit our technology, but our diminishing genetic variability has forced us to study other races. Because you so closely resembled the old ones, we were desperate to learn more about you without risking our security. The only way to do that was to take one of you without your knowledge. We picked the birther to study long term because we are most interested in reproduction."

"Yeah, we get you're a bit preoccupied with…" Jack was interrupted by Hank.

"How did you convince the other members of SG-1 that Colonel Carter left of her own accord?" General Landry wasn't sure what Jack was getting ready say but he did know whatever it was it wouldn't have helped the situation.

"We have technology that allows us to scan brain patterns as well as create new patterns. Once we finished studying the seed bearers, we placed memories of the birther in their minds and released them. We were more interested in the anatomy of the birther's incubator. The additional time allowed us to determine the birther had mated several times, but chosen to not bear young because the mate it wants is not accessible." Everyone tried to avoid looking at Sam, but slowly their eyes drifted in her direction. Sam stiffened and sat up straight in her chair.

The sergeant broke the tension when he walked over to Daniel and handed him some papers. "Sir, I have some information I'd like to share with Mr. Brin."

The General was glad to have an excuse to look away from Sam's suffering. He waved his hand towards Daniel. "Please do, Daniel. I think we could all use a diversion."

Sam sucked in a big breath. "The US population, that's just our country, is just under three hundred million. The world population is over six billion. It is estimated to exceed seven billion in six or seven years. As you can see, if we have a reproduction crisis it's not because there are too few of us." Daniel laid the paper down on the table and looked at the diminutive alien.

"That is impressive. We were not aware of this information. Is it not commonly known among your people?" The alien glanced in Sam's direction.

Daniel coughed. "There are some among us who know these numbers and I'm sure if you had probed Sam's mind far enough you would have found some indication." Sam grunted and frowned at his suggestion.

"I assure you we probed deeply into its mind. We found it left one of its mates because the seed bearer was violent." Jack's head swiveled in Sam's direction as the alien spoke. Sam got a shade paler. She gripped the edge of the table.

"There were other mates who lived far away or did not suit its needs. It fought us as we waded through its thoughts about the seed bearer with whom it most desires to bear young."

"Enough. First of all I'm not an 'it'! You can also stop talking about me like I'm not here! And third, stop talking about my private life as if it was any of your business!" Sam was standing and panting. She suddenly realized what she had done. She was yelling at an alien in the briefing room surrounded by her teammates and two Generals. She turned to General Landry. "I'm sorry sir. I just…couldn't take it any longer."

"That is perfectly understandable, Colonel." The General focused on the alien again. "If you hadn't put a stop to this discussion, I was going to."

"I am sorry if you are offended. It was not intended." The alien looked so darn innocent it made Sam feel wretched.

"All cultures have social taboos. We highly value our individuality and privacy." Daniel smiled at the little man.

"I see. We picked up some hints of this desire, but we did not realize it was so strong. I apologize. I would like to find a way to continue to study your people, in the hopes a cure for the disease could be found."

Jack and Landry exchanged glances. Jack was the first to speak. "You said you knew the Asgard."

"Yes." The little man smiled.

"I think they've been studying us for years. It might be best to ask them what they have learned before you go and repeat all the same work."

The little man touched his chin and nodded. "You are very wise. After we speak with the Asgard perhaps you would consent to be scanned."

"Not a chance." Jack shook his head and frowned.

--

Daniel smiled as he dialed Jack's cell.

"O'Neill."

"Hey, Jack. It's Daniel."

"What can I do for you?"

Daniel was glad Jack sounded like his mood had improved since the earlier meeting. "Are you going to be in town for a couple of days?"

"Planning on it. Why?"

"How about dinner tonight?"

"Just us?" Jack used a high falsetto voice just to annoy Daniel.

"Be serious, Jack."

"Dinner sounds fine."

"Seven at Giovannis?"

"1900 it is." Jack smiled as Daniel groaned and hung up.

--

"Hey, Sam." Daniel strolled into Sam's lab. "How's it going?"

"I'm fine, Daniel. I promise. There's no need to worry about me."

"That's good." Daniel wandered around her lab bench. "I thought maybe dinner would be good tonight."

"I don't know…I've got a lot to catch up on after being gone for so long."

"It's nothing that can't wait another night if it's waited this long." Daniel gave Sam his best puppy dog eyes. Daniel watched her face soften and knew he'd won the battle. "Good! Giovanni's at 7:00!" Daniel fled the lab before Sam could refuse.

--

Sam walked up to the hostess and smiled. "I'm meeting friends."

"Name?"

"Jackson."

"You're party has already arrived. Vanessa will show you to your table."

Sam glanced at her watch. She was a few minutes early. She was surprised Daniel hadn't made it before her. Vanessa led her to a small booth. She saw the short gray hair as she approached. He heard her steps. Their eyes met and they smiled. Sam slid across the bench seat across from Jack.

"Good evening, sir. I guess we arrived first."

"Seems that way. I just got here a minute ago."

The waitress arrived and asked for a drink order. They both ordered lemonade. She left them. Jack played with his napkins.

"So how've you been?"

"Ok, considering my love life became part of today's briefing."

"Yeah, that was…unusual. Good thing they didn't pick on Daniel. That would have been really boring." Sam grinned. Jack was pleased he'd gotten a smile out of her.

"Do you think this table's a little small for the four of us?"

Jack nodded. "I've been thinking the same thing."

The waitress returned with their drinks. "Are you ready to order?"

"We're waiting on friends." Jack smiled up at the waitress.

"Oh, I didn't realize. Your reservation was for two. I can have you moved to a larger table if you'd like."

Jack looked over at Sam. Her mouth was slightly open and she was smiling.

"Did Daniel invite you also?" Sam kept smiling.

"Yeah, I'm getting the feeling we've been set up." Jack looked up at the waitress. "Please give us a minute."

"Certainly." Sam and Jack both watched the waitress as she walked away.

"I should probably leave, sir." Sam placed her hands palms down on the table. Jack reached across the table and placed his left hand on her right.

"Why?"

"You know why." Sam looked down at their hands, but she didn't pull away.

"Tell me anyway."

Sam sighed and shook her head. "What do you want me to say?"

"Just tell me why you're so reluctant to do this." Jack kept his eyes on her face.

Sam turned to look out the window. "For the same reason as you, we're still technically in the same chain of command."

Jack nodded. "That's not my reason." He squeezed her hand.

She swiveled her head in Jack's direction and tilted it to one side. The question was written on her face, but she voiced it any way. "It's not? What is?"

Jack looked down at the table and took a deep breath. "I worry more about hurting or losing you."

Sam stared at him. The waitress returned. Jack looked up at her and awkwardly smiled. "We still need a few minutes."

She gave him a puzzled look but back away. "Of course, sir." He watched her join two other waitresses and begin talking as she glanced back at him.

"I'm not easily scared."

Jack turned back to Sam. Her face was soft and glowing. He smiled and began to relax. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. "No, I guess you're not."

"So what are we saying?" Sam's eyes locked with Jack's as she spoke.

"How about we start with dinner and see what happens?"

Sam nodded. "I think I can handle that."

Jack gave Sam's hand a final squeeze and let go so he could motion for the perplexed waitress. They ordered dinner and sat silently for a moment. Jack began to fidget. Sam reached back out for his hand. He watched her slender fingers glide over his palm.

"Does this feel real?" Jack looked up at Sam as he spoke.

Sam smiled and ran her fingers lightly over the inside of his wrist. "Yes, and if it isn't, I'd be happy to keep dreaming." She rewarded him with a huge grin. He responded in kind, resulting in a giggle from his dinner mate. Jack shook his head and kept smiling.


End file.
